ATLANTA -

Before arriving at your showroom, AutoTrader.com’s monthly Trend Engine Report projects potential buyers could have been scouring its website looking for fuel-sipping vehicles beforehand.

Site officials say interest in these models is on the rise as gas prices remain high across the country with the turmoil in the Middle East, a continuing economic recovery and the upcoming summer driving season all contributing to increased fuel costs.

As a result, AutoTrader.com found its March data of the most-searched used vehicles and most-searched certified pre-owned models reflected these trends.
The more fuel-efficient vehicles made notable gains on Top 20 lists with four of these units jumping at least four spots.

The site discovered the used Honda Civic made the Top 5, moving from No. 9 in February to No. 5 in March. The used Nissan Altima went from No. 16 in February to No. 12 in March. The used Volkswagen Jetta moved from just breaking into the top 20 in February to No. 15 in March. And the used Toyota Camry reappeared on the list at No. 20 in March, up from No. 24 in February.

AutoTrader.com indicated the only vehicles to lose ground on the list of most-searched used vehicles were trucks and SUVs.

Out of the 10 trucks and SUVs on the list, seven dropped to lower positions. Of those, the used Chevrolet Tahoe, used Dodge Ram 2500 and used Jeep Grand Cherokee all fell four places between February and March. Officials found the Tahoe went from No. 10 in February to No. 14 in March; the Ram 2500 went from No. 14 in February to No. 18 in March; and the Grand Cherokee went from No. 15 in February to No. 19 in March.

On the certified pre-owned front, AutoTrader.com noted the story was practically the same.

Officials found fuel-efficient CPO models were the only ones to gain any notable ground with the CPO Toyota Camry landing at No. 4 in March, up from No. 7 in February. The CPO Honda Civic landed at No. 6 in March, up from No. 9 in February. The CPO Audi A4 settled at No. 7 in March, up from No. 10 in February while the CPO Volkswagen Jetta came in at No. 10 in March, up from No. 13 in February.

AutoTrader.com pointed out the big winner in the Top 20, however, was the CPO Nissan Altima, which jumped ahead by nine spots to land at No. 20.
On the new-vehicle side, site officials determined the new Ford Fiesta jumped 10 spots, from No. 28 in February to No. 18 in March, and the new Chevrolet Cruze moved up three places month-over-month, going from No. 14 in February to No. 11 in March.

AutoTrader.com noted similar jumps among other fuel-efficient vehicles:

—New Volkswagen Jetta gained two places, going from No. 11 in February to No. 9 in March.

—New Hyundai Elantra jumped four places from No. 18 in February to No. 14 in March.

—While the new Kia Optima fell by one spot in the list month-over-month, the site said it has moved up year-over-year from No. 175 in March 2010 to No. 17 this past month.

Except for the Dodge Durango, which made a 17-spot jump month-over-month, AutoTrader.com found trucks and SUVs slipped in popularity on the list of most-searched new vehicles with the new Ford Explorer, new Ford F-250 and new Jeep Grand Cherokee all slipping three spots month-over-month.

New Piece of Data: Top 10 Big Movers

AutoTrader.com highlighted that March was the first month the site published the “Top 10 Big Movers” lists, which analyze site traffic on models that gained significantly more consumer interest month-over-month.

Interestingly, site officials learned vehicles on these lists tended to be either luxury/sports cars or smaller, more fuel-efficient vehicles. 

The big movers in the new vehicle arena in March illustrated the trend of consumers shifting interest to more fuel-efficient vehicles.

AutoTrader.com indicated three hybrid models and three smaller units dominated the list. The luxury hybrid Lexus CT 200H made the biggest jump of all, from No. 343 in February to No. 82 in March, a leap of 261 spots.

Other hybrids to make big jumps included the Honda Insight, which went from No. 212 in February to No. 158 in March and the Honda CR-Z, which went from No. 151 in February to No. 109 in March.

The Fiat 500, Scion XD and Honda Fit rounded out the fuel-efficient models on the list.

For used vehicles, AutoTrader.com found another Lexus hybrid made the list: the used HS 250H, moving up 37 spots month-over-month to the No. 461 position.

Four small vehicles also made big jumps, including the used smart Fortwo (up 46 spots), the used Ford Fiesta (up 38 spots), the used Honda Fit (up 36 spots) and the used Chevrolet Cruze (up 33 spots).

AutoTrader.com determined no hybrid units made big moves on the CPO list, but four fuel-efficient models did. The CPO Mini Cooper made the biggest leap of 73 spots, followed by the CPO Honda Fit (up 32 spots), the CPO Volkswagen Golf (up 31 spots) and the CPO Mini Cooper Clubman (up 26 spots).

Majority of Average Asking Prices Continue to Rise

As a result of the still-limited inventory of quality used vehicles, AutoTrader.com discovered average asking prices continued to creep up for the majority of the most-searched used vehicles.

The site indicated 16 out of 20 vehicles on the list experienced an average asking price increase, with the used Jeep Wrangler increasing 7.4 percent from $19,640 in 2010 to $20,907 in 2011 and the used Dodge Ram 2500 increasing 9.5 percent from $24,708 in 2010 to $27,066 in 2011.

Other used vehicles with a significant year-over-year price increase include the used Toyota Tacoma, used Volkswagen Jetta and used Toyota Camry. Analysts noted that the good fuel economy of the Jetta and Camry may be a contributing factor to their price increases.

The price story was particularly intriguing on the list of most-searched CPO models as AutoTrader.com found there were six vehicles that experienced year-over-year price increases of more than 6 percent.

With the exception of the Ford Mustang — which saw an average asking price increase of 8.6 percent year-over-year, officials noted the other five vehicles were either Hondas or Toyotas.

—Honda Accord, up 6.6 percent from $18,054 in 2010 to $19,237 in 2011.

—Toyota Tundra, up 7.9 percent from $24,732 in 2010 to $26,684 in 2011.

—Toyota Highlander, up 7.9 percent from $24,785 in 2010 to $26,750 in 2011.

—Toyota Tacoma, up 8 percent from $21,687 in 2010 to $23,436 in 2011.

—Toyota 4-Runner, up 10 percent from $24,268 in 2010 to $26,698 in 2011.

Meanwhile, AutoTrader.com mentioned average asking prices for new vehicles remains healthy, too, with 11 out of 20 posting a year-over-year increase.

Officials noted six of those 11 vehicles saw an average asking price increase more than 4 percent, but two new vehicles stood out with average asking prices increasing more than 10 percent.

AutoTrader.com said the average asking price of the Hyundai Elantra went from $17,423 in March 2010 to $19,414 last month, an increase of 11.4 percent. The site added the Kia Optima’s average asking price went from $20,066 in March 2010 to $23,671 last month, an 18 percent increase.

“The rise in prices for these cars might be a result of the impending shortages caused by the back-to-back natural disasters in Japan which have wreaked havoc on the production schedules for new cars from these automakers,” AutoTrader.com surmised.

Most-Searched Brands on AutoTrader.com

In a month where Ford topped rival brands in number of sales, the site discovered the domestic OEM also continued to dominate the most-searched new and used vehicle brands list with GM’s Chevrolet remaining in the No. 2 position.

On the new-vehicle list, the site determined three brands made significant year-over-year improvements with Hyundai moving up four spots to the No. 6 position. Jeep moved up an impressive seven spots to the No. 8 position while and Kia climbed four spots to the No. 10 spot.

Both Honda and Kia, which were not on the list of most-searched new vehicle brands in February, made AutoTrader.com’s list in March.

With only slight position changes here and there, site officials added the list of most-searched used-vehicle brands remained stable.

Top 10 Articles on AutoTrader.com in March

AutoTrader.com revealed most-viewed stories on its site last month were:

1. For Sale on AutoTrader: Tracy McGrady’s 2001 Mercedes-Benz CL600 — Car shoppers looking for a unique luxury car should consider this former athlete’s flashy, custom Mercedes-Benz.

2. Consumer Reports Lists Best Used Family Vehicles: Families looking for a good car at a great price should consider the vehicles highlighted in this article on AutoTrader.com.

3. Top Green Cars for Under $25,000: Driving a “green” car doesn’t have to mean making big sacrificing extra money or style, according to this article which lists ten eco-friendly cars at a great price.

4. Shopping for Fuel Efficiency? Kelley Blue Book Suggests Waiting: Rising gas prices have consumers flocking to smaller cars, but KBB encourages patience when making a big purchase.

5. 2007-2010 Toyota Tundra – Used Car Review: Big trucks are still popular with consumers; find out what makes the Tundra stand out in the pre-owned truck category.

6. For Sale on AutoTrader Classics: Dennis Rodman’s Gold Lamborghini — This is a car that’s as unique as its previous owner: a customized 2004 Lamborghini Gallardo, available for sale on AutoTrader Classics.

7. Young Mom with Old Car Tests Toyota’s Newer Technology: This article an accompanying video dives into whether all this new technology is more helpful or distracting for a busy mom-on-the-go.

8. For Sale on AutoTrader: Chevy Corvette Owned by Nicolas Cage — Car shoppers dreaming of owning a piece of celebrity history can find Cage’s 1992 Chevy Corvette on AutoTrader.com.

9. Five Reasons to Buy: 2011 Buick Regal — With an emphasis on performance, the Buick Regal reappears after a seven-year production hiatus.

10. Only $200K for a 200 MPH Sports Car – Audi R8 GT Pricing: Audi announced details for its upcoming exotic sports car. Will the features and performance outweigh its hefty premium?